Work Permit and Visa

What is the difference between a Work Permit and a visa?

A UK Work Permit is a document issued by the Overseas Labour
Service (Work Permits (UK)), a part of the Department for Education and Employment; it gives a
UK employer permission to employ an overseas candidate in a specific job at a
specific location.

A UK Work Permit is not a permission for the candidate to
take up work in the UK. The permission for the candidate to enter and work in
the UK is conferred by a UK Immigration or Consular officer who, following the
issue of a Work Permit, may issue the candidate with a suitable visa. The visa
is an endorsement stamped in the candidate’s passport.

Even if the candidate is already working in the UK on a Work Permit, if they
want to move to another job, their new (prospective) employer must obtain a new
Work Permit before they can change jobs. However, this process is generally
straigntforward